Stephen Beaudoin writes with worrisome news about how the economy is affecting a small arts group in Portland:

Well, local classical ensemble singers are starting to feel the crunch of the economic downturn. Just this season, I began as a member of Portland Vocal Consort, Ryan Heller's promising chamber choir in its second season. I signed a contract for three concerts, with two performances of each show (one in Portland, one in Longview, WA). We sang the season-opening shows this past October to quarter to third-full houses: not a good sign.

And now, in an email today from Consort executive director Marita Postma, we're told that unless the group raises $8,000 in the next 6 weeks, they're going to cancel the February concerts with zero renumeration to the singers (that would be at least $6,000 worth of singers' income lost for that one gig, by my calculation). Additionally, the PVC is asking members of their ostensibly professonal level chorus to consider 1) donating their fee back to PVC and/or 2) fundraising for PVC themselves. (!) Postma also offers no guarantee that the group, if it does cancel the February concerts, will go forward with the April concerts, either.
From an e-mail from Postma:
"Like everyone else, times are tough for us. The most important information for you is that we must reach our stated financial goal if we are going to proceed with our current season as scheduled... We will notify you by Jan. 5, 2009, if we will be able to present the Feb. concerts. If we do not reach our financial goal, we will release you form the committed dates and work towards the April concerts... We need your help in continuing to find donors. If you have someone you would like us to contact, please let us know or feel free to forward the letter as you wish."
I deeply understand how sour the current economic landscape is, and how it only makes it harder to raise money for arts organizations. But asking professional musicians to donate their professional fees and assist in donor solicitations does not seem like the right answer. Everyone knows ensemble singers in this town get the short end of the stick as it is, often making a fraction of what ensemble instrumental musicians make by the hour.
I'll hasten to add that nobody has been asked to take cuts, or had shows canceled, with groups like Cappella Romana or Trinity Consort - yet, anyway. But I worry, like others do, about what this signals for the future.

It's not just small groups feeling the pain. Chris Mattaliano at Portland Opera told me that ticket sales for "Traviata" and "Fidelio" this fall didn't make budget. And his next show is "Turn of the Screw."

I agree it's bogus to ask professionals to return their fees and/or to fundraise. They're trying to make a living like everybody else. But small groups like PVC often don't have lengthy donor lists. They don't have extra money to cultivate donors or hold fancy fundraisers. They live on the precipice. Canceling a concert is often a first response, easier than making cold calls. I fear we're going to see more of this.